Lock for pedestal extension-tables.



W. DICKINSON.

LOOK FOR PBDESTAL EXTENSION TABLES.

PPLIOATION FILED MAY z5, 190e.

Patented Feb. 23,1909.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. DIGKINsoN. LOOK FOR PEDBS EXTENSION TABLES.

ABPLIOATION BD HAY 25, 1908. 91 3,271 Patented Feb. 23,1909.

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y the pedestal-members being brought in con- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM DICKINSON,OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LOCK FOR PEDESTAL EXTENSION-TABLES.

T o all who/m it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DiokrNsON, of Buttalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Locks for Pedestal Extension-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to locks for pedestal extension-tables, and it has for its object to provide a simple, effective and durable device of this klnd which will draw the two sections of the table together so that the adjacent edges thereof will be in contact at every point and will maintain such relation until manual edort is exerted to unlock the device.

Another object is to so devise the lockingmeans that the force applied to draw the pedestal-members together is at right-angles to the direction of separation, thus assuring tact throughout their length.

A further object is the employment of a locking-element in which a wedging action is employed to draw the pedestal-members together and retain them in such position.

Still further objects are to provide a vertically movable locking-element so constructed that it will at all times be in proper position to engage coperating elements on the pedestal-members and will assure a tight joint between said members; and to otherwise improve on locking-devices for this purpose, now in use.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a vertical section of a pedestal extension-table taken in rear of the usual center leg within the pedestal, to better illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the table, the center leg and portions of the top-members of the table being broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the locking-devices and a portion of the pedestal-members. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the hanger to which the operating-lever is secured. lFig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the locking-elements and the drawrods for the same. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the locking elements. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the guides.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1908.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the retainers whereby the locking-elements are retained in operative position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The reference letter A designates the two table-sections, comprising top-members B and pedestal-members C. The table is of the ordinary construction permitting eX- tension, and on one table-section my improved locking-device is carried, the other section having simply a pair of guides to interlock with the locking-element of the locking-device. For the purpose of better illustrating my invention, I have omitted the center-leg which, in tables of this type, is inclosed within the hollow pedestal formed by the pedestal-members and carried on the usual bridge-piece D that connects the extension slides E. At the lower end of the pedestal are the usual spreadlegs F provided to give the table the proper support, and as these legs are depended upon to carry the weight of the table, at least in part, they tend, under the weight imposed upon their inner ends, to move outward and cause a separation of the pedestalmembers. This not only renders the table unsteady, but subjects the parts to strain so that eventually the table will require repairs; moreover, the table is rendered unsightly and as an ornamental article of furniture is no longer desirable. My improved locking-device is designed to obviate these undesirable features and it comprises the locking-device proper, which 1 designate Gr, and an operating-mechanism H which inchicles a movement-converten The locking-device proper, comprises two sets of cooperating wedge-elements located within the pedestal atdiametrically opposite points, vim-where the pedestal members meet. In cross-section each pedestal member is semi-cylindrical or substantially so, and secured to its inner face adjacent the edges thereof are guides l which may be cast or stamped from sheet metal. Each guide has an incurved portion or flange z' tapered toward its lower end in the manner of a wedge, and the guides of both pedestal members are oppositely arranged and beveled so that when they are brought together, they form a wedge-element whose inner edges are oppositely tapered.

Cooperating with the guides l are locking-elements J tapered in a corresponding manner and having outwardly facing recurved portions or flanges j which engage the flanges of said guides, one flange of each locking-element being shorter than the other. The long flange of each locking-element is held in engagement at all times with the complementary flange on the coperatng guide and the other flange of each lockingelement is engaged with its complementary flange only when the pedestal sections are drawn together. In order to maintain the locking-elements in proper relation to said guides, the guides cooperating with the long flanges of the locking-element have retainers K which embrace the edges of the locking-elements.

`When the pedestal-members are moved to bring them in contact, or nearly so, the locking-elements are drawn upward on the tapered-guides and securely draw said members together so that a separation cannot take place at any point in their length, and to assure a tight joint throughout the length of the pedestal, the locking-devices are advisedly positioned about midlength of the pedestal. In order to separate `the tablesections for enlarging the table by the insertion of one or more table-leaves, the locking-elements are lowered until the short lianges thereof clear the lower ends of their cooperating-guides, which breaks all connection between said sections and 'permits one section to be drawn away from the other, or both sections to be drawn from the center leg (not shown). It is to be noted that when the lockingelements are lowered, they become disconnected from the guides on one table section, but remain in engagement with the guides on the other table section, as clearly shown in F ig. ll; such engagement being main-v tained by the retainers K. In this manner,

the locking-elements are at all times held in proper position, so that when the table-sections are moved together, the locking-elements will positively lock into the disengaged guides and by reason of each pair of guides forming a wedge, the sections are tightly drawn together when the lockingelements are drawn upward. Although the wedging of the guides within the lockingelements will positively lock the table-sections together', some means should be provided to prevent accidental disengagement of the locking-elements, particularlyv when moving the table about or transporting the same.

Thus far, I have given a detailed description of the locking-device only, but as these are confined within the pedestal of the table, I have devised simple actuating-mechanism which permits of actuating the lockingdevice from an accessible point and simultaneously serves to retain the locking-elements in locked position.v Said actuatingmechanism comprises an operating-lever L which is terminally pivoted to a hanger M secured to the under side of one of the topmembers of the table and from its pivotal point extends out to the edge of the tabletop. Said lever is forked at its inner end and between its ends one terminal of a horizontal rod N is pivotally secured. Said rod extends inward to a point over the pedestal where it is pivotally connected to a move` ment converter O in the form of a lsquare plate. The rod N is pivotally connected to one corner of said ,plate and vthe latter is pivotally secured at its oppositecorner to the table-section carrying it, as at P. To a third corner of said plate vertically-movable rods B are pivotally secured and extend down to the locking-elements J to which they are secured. Said vertically movable rods are formed of-a single piece of wire bent between its ends where it is passed through the said plate. When grasping the operating-lever and forcing the same downward, therod N is caused to move horizontally which, by reason of its connection with the vertically-movable rods R, causes the locking-elementsrto be lowered so that the short flanges thereofl become disengaged with their cooperating guides. The table sections may then be separated to'permit the insertion of an additional table-leaf or leaves, as may be desired. When the table is to be reduced in size to bring the pedestal members together, the additional leaf or leaves are removed, the table-sections forced together, iand theoperating handle swung up into normal position, whereupon a reverse action of thedevice takes place-to causethe locking-elements tobe drawn up into wedging engagement with their cooperatingl guides. It is to be noted that when the operating-lever is swungv into normal position, the pivotal point of connection of the rod yN to said lever is moved beyond the dead-center, thus assuring a secure locking together of the table-sections.

Any other common mechanical 'contrivance or device for changing the direction of movement may be inserted between rod N and rods R so that the latter are caused to move at right-angles to the rod N.

Having thus described my invention, what I ,claim is, A l

l. In a pedestal extension-table, the combination with the table-sections, each comprising a top-member and a pedestal-member, of two pairs of tapered guides secured to the pedestal-members, one guide of each pair being secured to each pedestal-member, and a rectilinearly-movable locking-element engaging each of said pairs of guides to lock the table-sections together, each of said locking-elements being held at all times in engagement with one guide of the pair which it engages.

2. In a pedestal extension-table, the combination with the table-sections comprising top-members and pedestal-members, of two pair of guides having opp0sitely-directed tapered flanges, one guide of' each pair being secured to each pedestal-member, and a tapered locking-element for each pair 0i? guides having opposed flanges engaging be hind the flanges of said guides, one of the flanges of each locking-element being shorter than the other.

3. In a pedestal extension-table, the combination with the tablesections comprising top-members and pedestal-members, of two pair of guides having oppositely-directed apered flanges, one guide of each pair being secured to each edestal-member, a tapered locking-element or each pair of guides having opposed flanges engaging behind the flanges of said guides, and means for preventing the disengagement of said lockingelements from one of their eoperating n' guides.

4. In a pedestal extension-table, the combination with the table-sections comprising top-members and pedestal-members, of two pair of guides having oppositely-directed tapered flanges, one guide of each pair beino secured to each edestal-member, a tapered locking-element for each pair of guides having opposed flanges engaging behind the flanges of said guides, one of the flanges of VILLIAM DICKINSON.

lVtnesses EMIL NEUHART, ELLA C. PLUEGKHAHN. 

